. >> let's get to our guest host for more on the fiscal cliff negotiations. joining us now for the rest of the show, senator john thune, chairman of the senate republican kovrns conference. a member of the budget, commerce and finance committees and the third ranking republican in the senate. and, tall, great suit. you're like 6'2", aren't you? 6'1"? >> actually more like 6'4". you're sitting down. >> i'm sitting down. didn't want to give you credit for those extra -- anyway. you cut -- i like the cut of this man's jib. anyway, senator, you have made the point that the debt ceiling is another place where the gop might have some leverage. you heard senator corker. does that speak to you? does that make sense to you to give on the 2%, and then use the debt ceiling to really extract some entitlement cuts? >> ideally, joe, i think what we'd like to see is a deal right now that includes a restructuring entitlement programs. that's what drives federal spending. we can't solve this on the revenue side. and, you know, we've got colleagues right now that are san diego